Bath see off second-string Brive

Bath cruised into the Amlin Challenge Cup semi-finals after beating a weakened Brive side 39-7 at the Recreation Ground on Sunday.

Bath cruised into the Amlin Challenge Cup semi-finals after overcoming a weakened Brive side 39-7 at the Recreation Ground on Sunday.

Mike Ford's charges will travel to either Wasps or Gloucester in the last-four, with the Premiership duo facing each other later on Sunday.

With the French outfit having made fourteen changes to the starting line-up that beat Clermont in the Top 14 last week, it was suggested their commitment to this game was in doubt. And Bath duly pounced on the new-look outfit as they went in at the half-time break 25-0 to the good.

Tries before the break came from Horacio Agulla (2), Nick Abendanon and Semesa Rokoduguni as it took just nine minutes for the deadlock to be broken, despite George Ford struggling with attempts at goal. At the break his success rate was two from six, which luckily didn't cost them.

Agulla opened the scoring, being awarded the score on the left wing after the grounding was checked by Television Match Official Jim Yuille.

Ford then slotted three points before the dangerous Abendanon then further extended the lead when he finished off a quick tap from Micky Young to go in under the posts, with Ford adding another two points to make it 15-0 on the half-hour mark. Brive were now in disarray.

England prospect Rokoduguni was the next to get in on the act as a lovely step on the right led to him running in untouched before Agulla made it four Bath tries going into the break, as the impressive Gavin Henson was enjoying a good afternoon creating for other players.

The game would continue to be dominated by Bath in the second-half as Young burrowed over on 44 minutes from close range before winger Agulla completed his hat-trick with half-an-hour to go, finishing off a searing break from full-back Abendanon, who was in form.

It was now 39-0 as Bath sent on their replacements but it was Brive who struck next when number eight Kieran Murphy powered over the try-line for a consolation seven-pointer.

But the game had already been settled at this point as Bath look forward to the semi-finals.